In his fourth pursuit for the presidency, Muhammadu Buhari is in his old age adopting new patterns of political behaviour. How the rebranding will help him is another matter.

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

DEMENTIA is an ailment of the old and it was not surprising when First Lady Patience Jonathan, at a campaign rally in Lokoja last Tuesday, warned Nigerians about the prospects for Nigeria if an old man like Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is elected president.

“Wetin him dey find again? Him dey drag with him pikin mate. Old man wey no get brain, him brain don die pata pata,” Mrs. Jonathan was quoted as telling enthusiastic supporters of her husband before doling out rice, meat and brocades in thankful appreciation of the women.

The assertion remarkably did not go down well with the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation which in response urged President Goodluck Jonathan to warn his wife for taking the campaign away from the issues of concern to Nigerians.

Alleged degradation


If President Jonathan cautioned his wife on the matter, no one can for now say. Buhari has himself not personally responded, neither had his wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari spoken out on the alleged degradation of her husband’s mental faculties.

Irrespective of Mrs. Jonathan’s delivery, the issue of Buhari’s age and mental alertness is a matter for any one wishing to lead a country of more than 170 million people.

It is thus not surprising that Buhari’s handlers and associates are prompt to assure the citizenry of the mental alertness of the candidate.

“If you watched or listened to the Chatham House lecture, you will not condone anything of that sort that the PDP people are saying of him. Especially the question and answer session where he interspersed his answers with humour,” an associate of the general told Vanguard.

“He is someone that listens a lot and would wait until the end of a discussion before giving a response. He is very diplomatic and tactful, and when he speaks, he is very deliberate in his choice of words as you saw with him at Chatham House,” the associate, a member of the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council said.

General Buhari has also sought to reach out to voters in other ways, moving out from his closest as a taciturn, conservative that only associates with fellow Fulanis.

Remarkably, the general has been almost reticent on responding to insinuations of him being a religious fanatic, only saying that he had more Christian associates than Muslim in the army.

Gen. Sam Momah (retd.), a Christian who worked as Principal Staff Officer when Buhari was General Officer Commanding, GOC, of one of the army’s divisions said: “if anybody is trying to input that Buhari is a religious bigot, just know that the person is playing naked politics, far from the truth.”

The Chatham House lecture was only one opportunity for Buhari to show the world that he is not the kind of person that his political adversaries have sought to project.

In a number of other ways, the candidate has also rebranded including in his dressing and political strategies.

Several dimensions of the new look Buhari, it was gathered were worked out by Governor Chibuke Amaechi, the Director-General of his campaign organisation. Indeed, the appointment of Amaechi was the first indication of Buhari’s determination to branch out from the stereotype he had been used to.

Northern eggheads

In the past, his campaign had been managed by a few northern eggheads within The Buhari Organisation, TBO, who were seen at that time as being narrow minded and only preoccupied with projecting Buhari as a champion of the north.

Unlike in past campaigns, when he only donned the Hausa-Fulani attire in his campaign outreaches to some other parts of the country and when he did not even visit many areas, this time, Buhari has worn different attires to reflect the custom and attire of everywhere he went.

That, coupled with the challenges of the incumbent president, have helped to blossom support for Buhari in distant places.

From the South-East through the South-South and to the South-West, support for Buhari has skyrocketed to the point that he has become a potent threat to the PDP’s Jonathan in a number of southern states.

In the Southeast, a number of dissidents within the PDP are believed to be covertly or openly working for Buhari including a son of a foremost crusader of Nigeria’s independence.

Buhari’s associates say he is also not that dry and humourless person. A member of his campaign team disclosed how one occasion as the campaign bus travelled through the night bushes in Delta State, some campaign officials decided to loosen up and framed a song: “we no go tire…we no go tire. Until we win, we no go tire..”

As they sang, Buhari who all the while kept mum, received a phone call and all of a sudden everyone kept quiet. Once he was finished with his call, he now bellowed unto the singers, “Now you can continue with your noise,” the official said and everyone burst out into laughter.

“He has a sense of humour which you will not get until you come close to him,” the campaign official told Vanguard.

Mr. Uche Ofearoh, who served as Anambra State Coordinator for the Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO, prior to the presidential primaries spoke in the same manner.

According to him, the general had been widely misconceived, but he expressed satisfaction that a number of the misconceptions have been widely seen to be ill-founded.

But even as he crusades for change of the Jonathan administration, Buhari campaign insiders say he remains stuck in his old conservative ways of handling relations especially exposing his family to campaign. Though his daughters, Halima Sherrif and Safina Buhari, represented him at a Valentine Night outing themed for his political campaign, the candidate remains stuck in the culture of keeping one’s wife and family out of the limelight.

It is one argument that Mrs. Jonathan sees as a threat to her personal crusade to project Nigerian women as she had in the past warned that Buhari could cancel the office of first lady.

After Mrs. Jonathan’s dig on Buhari’s brain, there was pressure from his sympathisers for Aisha to respond. Those who suggested this were motivated by the fact that Aisha is regarded as a better speaker than Mrs. Jonathan and would as such rubbish her. But few dared to personally bring up the matter with the general.

“We know what it took for him to allow his wife come out at campaign rallies, and I am not prepared for that again,” a source within the Buhari circle confided. So even while he may have branched out in terms of political pattern, Buhari remains dogged-in in his cultural upbringing.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/now-buharis-brain-is-bracing-up/

This topic isn't appropriate.

Vanguard again? When Buhari came in and press guys were interviewing him, he asked for the representative of Vanguard, the person just keep mute. I thought Vanguard reported that Buhari was sick, why the person come dey fear make Buhari no go throw am punch na

*****
I knew it! Any such report that sort of dish out camouflaged insult to the People's General will grace the front page.

No matter the insults, no matter the hate campaign, no matter the sickness and death wishes, there is going to be a GeneralMarch4Buhari (GMB) on the 28th of March.

#Ihavedecided.

GMB is a very simple, honest and sincere man. He will stamp out corruption, demonstrate honesty and accountability and thus revive Nigeria and make us an envy. He will kick-start REAL development and nationhood for us.

GMB/PYO is a wonderful pair. The Vice is a decorous man and a thoroughbred honest intellectual! He will perfectly complement the incorruptible General.

I indulge everyone wishing Nigeria well to support the duo irrespective of tribal/religious affiliation.

Misgovernance and maladministration does not know tribe/religion.

agabusta:
Vanguard again. When Buhari came in and press guys were interviewing him, he asked for the representative of Vanguard, the person just keep mute. I thought Vanguard reported that Buhari was sick, why the person come dey fear make Buhari no go throw am punch na

Just watch how Jonathan's recent "gra gra" crumbles to the ground. The General is back!!

BUHARI, PEACE, LOVE AND LIFE BE UPON HIM. MAY GOD HEAL HIS LAND!!!!

agabusta:
Vanguard again. When Buhari came in and press guys were interviewing him, he asked for the representative of Vanguard, the person just keep mute. I thought Vanguard reported that Buhari was sick, why the person come dey fear make Buhari no go throw am punch na

Lol.

Nice article.

Nice one...........
Let the market woman continue to rant like the deranged old hag that she is

PEJ is a disgrace to d office of First lady world wide.

GeneralBosco:

Just watch how Jonathan's recent "gra gra" crumbles to the ground. The General is back!!

You are correct. I fear bokoharam will renew their bombings now that gmb is back.

frankyychiji:
You are correct. I fear bokoharam will renew their bombings now that gmb is back.

Bokoharam = PDP, PDP = Bokoharam (Gen. Azazi). There's a reason why that man said those words.

GeneralBosco:

Bokoharam = PDP, PDP = Bokoharam (Gen. Azazi). There's a reason why that man said those words.

He said so when the sponsors of bh were in pdp. Today, they are in apc.

Apc thugs shld wake up from dem slumber, buhari is not going to smell aso rock.

frankyychiji:
He said so when the sponsors of bh were in pdp. Today, they are in apc.

You're being ignorant and thinking like a kid.

GMB,

While you were gone a few things happened.....

(1) Dame P told people to stone us.

(2) She also called you a 72 year old infant and said you were brain dead.

(3) AIT got tired of the documentary they did on you and decided to do one on Tinubu.

(4) Fayose became a bigger nuisance.

(5) FFK's verbal diarrhoea became worse.

(6) Jimi Agbaje lied and said GEJ was finer than you.

(7) One girl wore skimpi skimpi to go and meet GEJ

( They decided to punish us with no light and fuel scarcity.

Now you're back.

Pls punish these people. They've been naughty.

nawa oooo Follow Edumacro on Google plus from here https://plus.google.com/+Edumacro/posts and Facebook from here https://www.facebook.com/brimhome

#March4buhari

#ihavedecided

#babawhenyouwereaway

#change

#integrity

#ihaveaPVC

Oga jonah- clueless

Madam peace- edjucated illetrate

Buhari- brain dead

Laughing at Nigerian politicians

Whose brain is bracing up, abeg Buhari is senile, dementia has already set in, unfortunately it is non reversible.

Unlike in past campaigns, when he only donned
the Hausa-Fulani attire in his campaign
outreaches to some other parts of the country
and when he did not even visit many areas, this
time, Buhari has worn different attires to
reflect the custom and attire of everywhere he
went.

If he likes, let him wear Obi of Onitsha's garment, he's losing like before.
He has no vote in South-south and South east.
Once a loser, always a loser.
Losing is in his DNA, he can't shake it off!
GEJ till 2019

so on ponit!

Fs

Ok. I don read am....

Orunto:
BUHARI, PEACE, LOVE AND LIFE BE UPON HIM. MAY GOD HEAL HIS LAND!!!!

As he retires to Daura

Eyop:

Hehehehehe!!!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2186748_apc2_jpeg59690a59aa61a33c25bafeb9f7112afe

Buhari/Osinbajo 2015-2019
& then
Buhari/Okorocha 2019-2023

Welcome home Baba. #Babawhileyouwereaway Barcanista lost his respect on NL. due to his inglorious move back to PDP.

I think fayose will run last when the people's general assumes power

The fear of Buhari makes ppl work.
Ask FFK, Fayose, GEJ, Tandriods, Bloggers